Photoshop Print Preview Size

[Pookeyhead]

If mods deem this useful, please move to tutorial section.


I was asked a question by two separate people on two separate occasions recently and it made me think that this is something more people may be interested in.

While viewing an image in Photoshop, you can right click to get quick display choices up ; Actual Pixels, fit on screen, and print size.


As some of you may have noticed, print size does not, by default give an accurate visual indication of the actual size it will print.

Getting an image to display at its exact print size requires that you know your exact display resolution. This is not the pixel resolution, but the DPI of your display.

Most monitors are between 80-110 DPI but they vary massively as DPI is a product of absolute resolution vs pixel pitch/size.

By default Photoshop sets 72DPI for the display. Even though that is a standard DPI for images sent to screen its actually not the DPI most monitors work at, and is a legacy of old font scaling standards, so to display an image on your screen the exact size it will print requires you to input the screen's dpi. If you know this, you can just input it by going here;


Fig.1

And inputting the screen's dpi here..


Fig.2

By default, it's 72, but if you input the monitor's dpi here PS will then display print views at exact size.

If you do not know your monitor's exact dpi you can easily find out, and all you will need is a piece of A4 paper. (A5 might be needed for smaller screens)

1. Create a new A4 (or A5)document with File/new or CTRL+N
2. Choose international paper size/A4 (or manually 297mm x 210mm)


Fig.3

3. Click OK and create the blank A4 page.


Fig.4

4. Right click on it, and select Print Size


5. 4. Place your A4 paper onto your screen and see if its the same size or not.

6. If its smaller, you need to increase the screen resolution setting if its larger, decrease the DPI setting (its the opposite of how you think you'd adjust it, as normally high DPI gives a smaller print, but this is screen resolution calibration, not print resolution). Repeat this process until the paper is exactly the same size as the displayed image

On its default settings, here's how PS displayed a A4 page with print size selected on my screen.

Through trial and error you will arrive at the right size.

Your screen is now calibrated for accurate visual print size previewing.

 

[wee jake]

Thanks for that will give it a try tomorrow

 

[Pookeyhead]

You're welcome.

 

[paulh]

Very useful post thank you, A4 was slightly too large for my screen but worked a treat using A5 instead

Cheers Paul.

 

[david357]

I always thought that the keyboard shortcut for 100% view was Control + Alt + Zero , but realised it is way off, being a much larger than 100% view - maybe if I set the screen resolution correctly instead of the default setting, it may work?
Thanks for the tip.

 

[Pookeyhead]

I always thought that the keyboard shortcut for 100% view was Control + Alt + Zero , but realised it is way off, being a much larger than 100% view - maybe if I set the screen resolution correctly instead of the default setting, it may work?
Thanks for the tip.

This isn't for 100%. 100% gives actual pixel view, which is not necessarily the same as the actual print size. 100% just maps each image pixel to a single image pixel on your screen. 100% view will change from monitor to monitor.

This is to ensure that "print View" show you how big the image will print at it's current settings. 100% view is not the same as print view.

 

[david357]

If i set print size at 39 cm on the long edge, then 100% view, surely that should be actual size?
That is what I am trying to do.

 

[Pookeyhead]

If i set print size at 39 cm on the long edge, then 100% view, surely that should be actual size?
That is what I am trying to do.

No. 100% view just means that each single pixel of your image, is mapped to a single pixel of your screen. 100% is just a native resolution view using a 1:1 pixel mapping for zero aliasing. If you want the screen to display the image exactly the size it will print, you right click on the image and select "print size",

..or use View/Print size from the menu.

You'll need to ensure your monitors dpi is set in the Edit/Preferences/units&Rulers/screen resolution panel like I showed above. If you don't know it, then you'll need to use a known paper size like I showed above.

Once set, right clicking and selecting "print size" will show you the exact size the image will print.


If you think about it, I can make an image 10,000 pixels across and still set the print size and document DPI independently to 29.7cm. Yes, it will print at A4 lengthwise, but 100% view will still be showing me an image 10,000 pixels across at 100%. That will be bigger than A4 on my screen will it not? Remember, when setting document print size in "Image/Image" Size you should uncheck "resample image" in the image size menu or you'll also be changing the images pixel resolution.